Rotary engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. WORLEY & R. B. DAVIS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 440,858. Patented Nov. 18, 1890.

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(Nb ModeL) Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. W. WORLEY & R. B. DAVIS.

ROTARY ENGINE No. 440,858. Patented Nov; 18, 1890.

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'UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \V. \VORLEY AND ROBERT B. DAVIS, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.440,858, dated November18, 1890.

Application filed July 30, 1890- Serial No. 860,397. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. \VORLEY and ROBERT E. DAVIS, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam-engines, and more especially to thatclass of rotary engines in which a revolving cylinder is provided with apiston-plate arranged within a suitable casing to receive the impact ofthe steam.

The invention consists in certain improvements in the construction andarrangement of the parts of the machine, which will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and particularlypointed out in the'claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a transverse verticalsectional view of an engine equipped with our improvements. Fig. 2 is aside elevation taken from the rear side of the same. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is afront elevation.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A suitable frame, which is designated by 1, supports the main shaft 2and the shaft 3, which extends through the cylindrical casing 4.Suitably mounted in the said casing and adapted to revolve upon theshaft 3 is the cylindrical piston 5,which is provided with peripheralflanges 6 6, between which is mounted the piston-plate 7. The latter ismounted on a short shaft 8, which projects through a circumferentialgroove 9 in the front wall of the cylinder-casing. Said front wall iscomposed of the central plate 10 and the annular plate 11,which latteris contiguous to the peripheral wall of the casing.

Upon the front end of the main shaft 2 is mounted a disk orbalance-wheel 12, having a crank or wrist pin 13, which is connected bya pitman 14 with the front end of the shaft 8, upon which thepiston-plate 7 is mounted. The pitman 14 has an upwardly-extendingbracket 15, which is connected by a supplemental pitman 16 with thecrank of a valvestem, to be presently more fully described.

Upon the upper side of the cylindrical casing 4 is mounted a casing 17,upon the upper side of which the steam-chest 18 is mounted. The casing17, which communicates with the cylindrical casing 4, is provided with asegmental recess 19,affordin g a bearin g fora valve 20, which is mainlycylindrical in shape and which fits between the flanges 6 and bearsagainst the periphery of the revolving cylinder 5. The valve 20,however, is provided with a segmental recess 21 to admit of the passageof the piston-plate 7 during the operation of the machine. The shaft orstem 22, upon which the valve is mounted, projects through the frontwall of the casing and has a crank or wrist pin 23, which is connectedwith one end of the pitman 16, the other end of which is connected withthe arm or bracket 15, extending upwardly from the pitman 14. The casing17 is provided on opposite sides of the oscillating valve 20 with portsor passages 24 and 25, serving alternately for the admission and exhaustof steam to and from the cylindrical casing. Packing-rings of suitableconstruction are provided to make steamtight joints at all necessarypoints.

In the steam-chest 18 is mounted an ordinary reciprocating slide-valve26, the stem of which 27 extends through a packing-gland in one end ofthe stem-chest and is provided with a laterally-extending arm or bracket28. The rear end of the shaft 22, upon which the oscillating valve 20 ismounted, is provided with a crank 29, which is pivotally connected withan upwardly-extending link 30. The latter is connected at a suitabledistance from its pivotal connection With the crank 29 by means of apitman 31 with the bracket 28, extending from the valve-stem 27.Suitably attached to the frame 1 is an upwardly-extending bracket 32, towhich is pivoted a le- Ver 33. The upper'end of the lever is connectedby a pitman 34 with the upper end of the link 30, and the lower end ofsaid lever 33 is connected by a link-rod 35 with the reversingdever 36,which is conveniently located within control of the engineer. Asteam-supply pipe 37 is connected in the usual manner with thesteam-chest 18, and thelatter also communicates with an exhaustpipe 38.Said exhaust-pipe communicates through the cavity 39 in the under sideof the slide-valve 26 and through the corresponding cavity 40 in thebottom of the steam-chest with the passage 24 or 25, as the case may be,through which the exhaust is to be carried off.

The operation of our invention and its advantages will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with thedrawings hereto annexed. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, steam willenter from the steam'chest 18 through the passage 25 in rear of thepiston-plate 7, thus rotating the cylinder 5 in the direction indicatedby the arrow. When the cylinder rotates, motion is communicated throughthe pitman l t to the main shaft, and the supplemental piston 16 willgradually reverse the position of the oscillating valve 20 to place thesegmental recess 21 of the latter in position to receive thepiston-plate 7 when the cylinder 5 has made a partial rotation. Duringthe revolution of the cylinder 5 steam constantly enters through thepassage 25, While the dead steam is exhausted through the passage 24. Toreverse the direction of rotation it is only necessary to change theposition of the slidevalve 26 by means of the lever and reversinggearherein described. The steam will then enter through the passage 24 andexhaust through the passage 25, and the direction of rotation will bereversed. The slide-valve 26, moreover, serves as a cut-off, which, whenthe cylinder 5 has partially completed its revolution, shuts off thesupply of steam, the use of which is thus greatly economized.

Our improved rotary engine is free from the objection of back-pressure,which commonly exists in this class of engines. It is adapted to be usedupon locomotives or as a stationary engine, and it is simple inconstruction, durable, and easily managed.

Having thus described our invention, We claim 1. In a rotary engine, thecombination of the cylindrical casing having a circumferential slot inits front wall, the rotating cylinder mounted in said casing and havingperipheral flanges, the valve-casing mounted upon the cylindricalcasing, the oscillating cylindrical Valve having a segmental recess, thepistonplate mounted between the peripheral flanges of the rotatingcylinder, a pitman connecting a stem extending from said piston-platethrough the slot in the casing with a disk or fly-wheel upon the mainshaft of the engine, the steam-chest mounted upon the cylindricalvalve-casing, the ports or passages connecting the steam-chest with thecylindrical casing, and the slide-valve arranged in the steamchest, allconstructed and operating substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the cylindrical casing, the rotating cylinderhaving the pistonplate, the oscillating cylindrical valve having asegmental recess for the passage of the piston-plate, the pitmanconnecting the stem of the piston-plate with a crank upon the main shaftand having an upwardly-extending bracket, and a pitman connecting saidbracket with the crank upon the stem of the oscillating valve,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the cylindrical casing, the rotating cylinderhaving the pistonplate mounted between peripheral flanges thereon, thevalve casing mounted upon the cylindrical casing and having the passages24 25 and the cavity 40, the cylindrical valve having a segmentalrecess, apitman connect-- ing a crank upon the stem of the oscillatingcylindrical valve With an upright rising from the pitman that connectsthe crank upon the main shaft with the stem of the piston-plate of therotating cylinder, the slide-valve mounted in the valvechest and havinga cavity in its under side, and means for transmitting motion to and forreversing the position of the said slide-valve, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination of the casing, the rotating cylinder, the oscillatingvalve mounted upon the stem 22, having a crank 29,-the link 30, theconnecting-rods 31 and 34, thelever 33, pivoted to an upright risingfrom the frame, the connecting-rod 35, and the reversing-lever 36, allcombined and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein setforth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoafiixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. WORLEY. ROBRT. B. DAVIS. lvitnesses'.

WM. H. SEHUM, O. C. McCoRMIcK.

